Whistler to Tofino
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Whistler to Tofino
Hi your message board has got me really interested in Tofino for a 4 day stay in Sept. I will be leaving Whistler on 26th and don't have to be back in Vancouver for my flight until 30th. How long will it take to make the trips from Whistler to Tofino and again from Tofino to Vancouver so that I can plan where to stay? Any ideas on reasonably priced places to stay in Tofino? Thanks
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you'll drive down from whistler and take the ferry from horshoe bay to nanaimo and then i think it's about a 4 hour drive to tofino. check http://www.bcferries.bc.ca.
your definition of reasonable and our may be very different. how much to you want to pay for accommodations?
your definition of reasonable and our may be very different. how much to you want to pay for accommodations?
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Assuming you have your own vehicle (rented, I guess), you will, as ltt says, drive from Whistler to Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver). I haven't driven that route for many ears but think it takes about three hours. Other posters can correct me on this.
From Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) you take the ferry to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) on Vancouver Island. The sailing takes about 90 minutes and there are about eight sailings a day.
From Departure Bay (Nanaimo) you drive across Vancouver Island to Tofino. The drive takes three to four hours and is a beautiful road, particularly the stretch between Port Alberni and Tofino.
The return journey is the same thing in reverse: drive from Tofino to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), take the ferry to Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) and drive into Vancouver.
You can look at the ferry schedule here:
http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/
If you don't have your own vehicle, it is possible, but complicated, to do this route by public transport. It's highly recommended, though, to hire a car.
As for accommodations...what do you have in mind? Hotels? Bed and breakfasts? Camping?
Late September should be a beautiful time to visit Tofino.
From Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) you take the ferry to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) on Vancouver Island. The sailing takes about 90 minutes and there are about eight sailings a day.
From Departure Bay (Nanaimo) you drive across Vancouver Island to Tofino. The drive takes three to four hours and is a beautiful road, particularly the stretch between Port Alberni and Tofino.
The return journey is the same thing in reverse: drive from Tofino to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), take the ferry to Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) and drive into Vancouver.
You can look at the ferry schedule here:
http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/
If you don't have your own vehicle, it is possible, but complicated, to do this route by public transport. It's highly recommended, though, to hire a car.
As for accommodations...what do you have in mind? Hotels? Bed and breakfasts? Camping?
Late September should be a beautiful time to visit Tofino.
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My sense is that $200 is probably the minimum that you can expect to pay for "mid-range" accommodations in Tofino. But you do need to let us know whether you prefer hotels, B&Bs...
When we go to Tofino we always stay in B&Bs. I've never stayed in any of the hotels there, but have heard good things about the Wickaninnish Inn (www.wickinn.com), though I don't think they'd have many rooms for under $300. People have also raved about the Long Beach Lodge Resort. Again, I doubt they'd have much for under $250. The Best Western Tin-Wis Resort might be slightly cheaper.
On the more realistic side, you should be able to find B&Bs in the $100 to $150 range (closer to $150). Do a web search for Tofino bed and breakfasts. There are a lot of excellent ones, particularly on Chesterman Beach and Lynn Road.
When we go to Tofino we always stay in B&Bs. I've never stayed in any of the hotels there, but have heard good things about the Wickaninnish Inn (www.wickinn.com), though I don't think they'd have many rooms for under $300. People have also raved about the Long Beach Lodge Resort. Again, I doubt they'd have much for under $250. The Best Western Tin-Wis Resort might be slightly cheaper.
On the more realistic side, you should be able to find B&Bs in the $100 to $150 range (closer to $150). Do a web search for Tofino bed and breakfasts. There are a lot of excellent ones, particularly on Chesterman Beach and Lynn Road.
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Hello Patsy,
Hope you have good luck with your search. As I mentioned, Chesterman Beach Road and Lynn Road are our favourites (they actually both overlook the same beach; it's hard to tell where Chesterman Beach Road ends and Lynn Road begins).
If you can't find anything at all in Tofino, you could try Uclulet. It's a small town about a thirty-minute drive down the coast from Tofino. It has a slightly different atmosphere from Tofino. It's a logging town that has fallen on hard times as a result of downturns in the logging industry. Now they're promoting the tourism and sport fishing aspects. You can easily stay in Ucluelet and drive into Tofino (and when we stay in Tofino, we always visit Ucluelet at least twice).
The coast in Ucluelet is mostly cliffs and rocks. Quite romantic with impressive waves crashing onto the rocks. If you've read Daphne DuMaurier's novel Rebecca, you can easily picture the atmosphere. (The coast in Tofino is mostly flat sandy beaches). There's a long trail along the coast in Ucluelet (called, I think, the Wild Pacific Trail). It's well maintained and accessible and gives you spectacular views out over the ocean. I love it.
I've never stayed in Ucluelet - just visited during the day - so can't recommend accommodations there. I am sure there are many suitable B&Bs, however, and they are probably cheaper than Tofino.
Hope you have good luck with your search. As I mentioned, Chesterman Beach Road and Lynn Road are our favourites (they actually both overlook the same beach; it's hard to tell where Chesterman Beach Road ends and Lynn Road begins).
If you can't find anything at all in Tofino, you could try Uclulet. It's a small town about a thirty-minute drive down the coast from Tofino. It has a slightly different atmosphere from Tofino. It's a logging town that has fallen on hard times as a result of downturns in the logging industry. Now they're promoting the tourism and sport fishing aspects. You can easily stay in Ucluelet and drive into Tofino (and when we stay in Tofino, we always visit Ucluelet at least twice).
The coast in Ucluelet is mostly cliffs and rocks. Quite romantic with impressive waves crashing onto the rocks. If you've read Daphne DuMaurier's novel Rebecca, you can easily picture the atmosphere. (The coast in Tofino is mostly flat sandy beaches). There's a long trail along the coast in Ucluelet (called, I think, the Wild Pacific Trail). It's well maintained and accessible and gives you spectacular views out over the ocean. I love it.
I've never stayed in Ucluelet - just visited during the day - so can't recommend accommodations there. I am sure there are many suitable B&Bs, however, and they are probably cheaper than Tofino.
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We stayed at the Mid Island Lodge. While the rooms are not plush, they are comfortable with a spectacular ocean view. The lodge was quite nice and had a good breakfast (continental). Two must do restaurants are the Raincoast Cafe and the Complete Loaf. The Wickanish Restaurant is also quite good.
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Thanks everyone. Vorkuta it was funny that you mentioned Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca because it is set a few miles from where I live in rugged Cornwall. Now I know that we have picked a great spot. Now booked into Middle Beach Lodge and truly looking forward to it
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